HARDY FORUM ARCHIVE HO3003 1/9/03 "PORTLAND QUARRIES QUESTION"
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Date: Thu, 9 Jan 2003 13:58:45 -0800
From: Betty Cortus <hardycor@owl.csusm.edu>
Subject: Portland Quarries Question


This question is only marginally Hardy-related, but I was just reading A.E.
Housman's poem "The Isle of Portland" (LIX in *A Shropshire Lad*). The
first stanza reads:

The star-filled seas are smooth to-night
From France to England strown;
Black towers above the Portland light
The felon-quarried stone.

Is it true that convicts were used to quarry the stone at one time? As
someone who grew up in sydney where many old buildings are built on
foundations of felon-quarried stone I was just curious.
Betty

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From: Jcphardysoc@aol.com
Date: Thu, 9 Jan 2003 18:00:00 EST
Subject: Re: Portland Quarries Question
:

Dear Forum Readers

Betty has asked whether convicts ever quarried stone on Portland. The answer
is yes - the original convict prison (now a Borstal or young offenders'
institution) was constructed (1848) to house convicts engaged in quarrying
stone for constructing the breakwater, in order to form the harbour of refuge
for the Royal Navy.

The present Portland Prison is the former Verne military citadel or fort.
There is also a prison ship moored in the harbour, to relieve overcrowding in
Britain's prisons.

Best wishes

John Pentney

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Date: Thu, 9 Jan 2003 15:29:17 -0800
From: Betty Cortus <hardycor@owl.csusm.edu>
Subject: Re: Portland Quarries Question


Many thanks John, for your prompt reply.
Betty

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